Illinois Elected Officials and AT&T Encourage Drivers to Take the Pledge to Never Text While Driving

Gov. Pat Quinn, Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Sec. of State Jesse White, 150 Illinois Municipal Leaders Support "Drive 4 Pledges Day" Asking Motorists to Take the Pledge to Never Text While Driving

Part of the "It Can Wait" Campaign to End Texting while Driving

News provided by

AT&T Inc.

Sep 19, 2013, 11:43 ET

CHICAGO, Sept. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Illinois elected officials ― including Gov. Pat Quinn, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Secretary Jesse White, and 150 municipal leaders ― joined AT&T on "Drive 4 Pledges Day" asking drivers to take the pledge to never text while driving. 

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120612/DA23287LOGO)

"Each one of us is responsible for our own actions behind the wheel.  We can make the decision to drive more safely and we can even help change the behavior of others.   Talk to your children ― especially if they are teen drivers ― and encourage them to take the pledge," said Paul La Schiazza, President, A&T Illinois.  "'It can wait' says it all.  So please, take the pledge today." 

Anyone can take the pledge to never text while driving at ItCanWait.com.

In Illinois, public officials are promoting "Drive 4 Pledges Day":  

  • Gov. Pat Quinn proclaimed September as "No Texting While Driving Awareness Month" in the state and proclaimed today as "Drive 4 Pledges Day" in Illinois to support the "It Can Wait" movement. 
  • Secretary of State Jesse White, who initiated the 2009 legislation to ban texting while driving in Illinois, will add a link on the Secretary of State's website to a chilling, new AT&T documentary on the consequences of texting while driving called "From One Second to the Next."
  • Mayor Emanuel proclaimed Sept. 19th as "Drive 4 Pledges Day" encouraging Chicagoans to take the pledge to never text while driving.
  • The Illinois State Police, the Illinois Department of Transportation and Illinois Tollway joined AT&T officials at a Chicago press conference today and continue educating the public about the dangers of texting while driving.  
  • Working with the Illinois Municipal League, more than 150 municipal leaders in Illinois issued proclamations supporting the "Drive 4 Pledges Day" to encourage motorists to take the pledge.

AT&T and the "It Can Wait" campaign participated in "Drive 4 Pledges Day" events in cities throughout Illinois, including:

  • Chicago (5 events)
  • Rockford
  • Rock Island
  • Wheaton
  • LaGrange
  • Bloomington
  • Urbana
  • Carbondale
  • Country Club Hills
  • Lake Forest
  • Belleville
  • Glenview
  • Plainfield
  • Norridge
  • Lombard
  • Quincy

A ConnectSafely.org1 survey found that individuals who speak up can have a profound impact, particularly on teens.

  • 78% of teen drivers say they're likely not to text and drive if friends tell them it's wrong or stupid.
  • 90% say they'd stop if a friend in the car asked them to.
  • 93% would stop if a parent in the car asked them to.
  • 44% say that they would be thankful if a passenger complained about their texting while driving.

The It Can Wait movement is making a difference. One-in-three people who've seen the texting while driving message say they've changed their driving habits2, the campaign has inspired more than 2.5 million pledges never to text and drive and the recently launched "From One Second To The Next" documentary has received more than 2 million views since Aug. 8. To take the pledge and get more information, visit www.ItCanWait.com.

1 ConnectSafely.org survey sponsored by AT&T
2 AT&T Texting While Driving … It Can Wait Perceptions Study

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